Automatic pilot turn control



May 25, 1948. CA'RLSQN 2,442,116

AUTOMATIC PILOT TURN CONTROL Filed March 3, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I IIVVENTOR.

B BERT G CARLso/v ATTORNEY 1948. B. ca. CARLSON 2,442,116

AUTOMATIC PILOT TURN CONTROL FiledMarch 3, 1944 Sheets-Sheet 2 I M 11" W w H F; INVENTORT \UI J BERT G. CARLsoN, Q I BY ATTORNE Y May 25, 1948. G, CARLSQN 2,442,116

AUTOMATIC PILOT TURN CONTROL 5 Sheets-Sheet a Filed March 3, 1944 v Ea INVENTOR. BERT G. CARLSON ATTOR NE Y Patented May 25, 1948 ZAiZdi AUTOMATIC PILOT TURN CONTROL Bert G. Carlson,

mesne assignments,

of Delaware Gates Mills, Ohio, assignor, by

to Jack & Hcintz Precision Industries, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation Application March 3, 1944, Serial No. 524,954

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a turn control for an automatic pilot for aircraft and has as its object to provide a device for temporarily removing the rudder control signal from the gyro turn unit when the aircraft is banked for a turn.

A further object is to provide a device of the type described which may be incorporated into a conventional automatic pilot.

The manner in which the invention accomplishes these and othenobjects is best understood by referring to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a partial front elevation view of the front panels of a conventional automatic pilot having the device of the present invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the bank and climb unit in side elevation and showing the mounting frame in section;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the electrical contact arrangement on the rear of the mounting frame, taken on the line'5-'5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the rear portion of the mounting frame behind the turn unit, certain parts being omitted;

Figure 7 is a sectional view in front elevation of the rear portion of the mounting frame taken on the line 'l'! of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the solenoid operated air valve shown in Figure 5 with the parts in a diiierent position and drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 9 is a sectional view in rear elevation taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 6 and looking in the opposite direction from Figure '7;

Figure 10 is an exploded view of the combined metering and signal removing valve shown in Figures 6 to 9; and

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken in side elevation approximately on the line l I--H of Figure '7.

Environment of the invention Referring now to Figure l, the numeral I reiers to the bank and climb unit and the numeral 2 refers to the turn unit of a conventional automatic pilot. On the face of the bank and climb unit there is a window 3 containing the bank and climb indicators, a vacuum gage 4, and an elevator control knob 5, all in conventional form and arrangement. The aileron control knob 6 is located in the normal position but has incorporated therewith certain features of novelty pertaining to the invention and referred to in detail in the following description. The turn unit 2 has a face 1 containing the usual upper and lower compass cards, and the usual rudder control knob 8. v

The units l and 2 are mounted in a conventional manner in a mounting frame in so as to be conveniently removable therefrom. The usual manner of supporting the bank and climb unit and turn unit is to provide locating guide rails such as H in the mounting frame to slidably receive the units I and 2 in such a manner that when the units are supported on the rails and pushed back into place, the various air line fittings in the rear of the units will be automatically connected with similarly positioned fittings on the mounting frame. In this manner the turn and bank and removed from the mounting frame by merely withdrawing the units forwardly from the rails The mechanism of the present invention is incorporated in theunits and 2 and the mounting frame 10 in such a way that the removability' and exchangeability of the units is not impaired, all connections with the removable units being established and broken automatically by the mere act of inserting or removing the boxes from the mounting frame.

The features of novelty will now be described as they are applied to the bank and climb unit and the mounting frame of a gyro pilot.

Bank and climb unit Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, numeral It indicates the usual aileron control shaft connected with the follow-up mechanism for "controlling banking pilot. A housing It adapted to be secured to the box I by screw I! or the like surrounds and encloses the forward end of the shaft l5 and rotatably supports a banking knob ii in non-roclimb boxes may conveniently be of the aircraft through the gyro l8 carries a disc 22 supporting an annular conducting ring 23 on an insulating body 24 with one side of the ring 23 overlying a side flange l4 on the box I beyond the side wall thereof. A pair of spring actuated contacts 25 are mounted in the flange I4 so as to 1 underlie the ring 23 as shown. When the knob 6 is withdrawn to its outer position itoperates in. the conventional manner to rotatethe aileron" control shaft l5 without bringing any part of the present invention into operation. When the knob 6 is depressed to the inner position, the-ring: 23-

is brought into contact with the terminals 25 to establish an electrical circuit tl'ierebetweenQthe knob still being freely rotatable-for aileron c'on trol.

A pair of conductors 26 and 21 connected with the terminals 25 are trained? along theisideiiof the box I and are connected with a terminal block 4 28 mounted on the rear thereof as shown-in Fig:

The description under thepreceding heading relates tbthose-por'tions of: the present device whicnare-mounted on- 01" associated with the bank and climb-unit l-. Referenceis-now made to-"ZE'igures 6. to: 11- inclusive relating to= those parts- 'of the device which-*are carried by the mountingframg wand-associated with the turn unit- 22. "Figures-6 and? illustrate in plan andfronti elevatiom;respectively, the "rear. part of the mounting frame to below and directly behindithe turn: unit 2; Numeralse4It and 4t referrespectivelx toethe air relay and-the balanced oil-valve associated-'withthe gyro turnunit for. controlling" thermdder. actuating piston in the .servolunit, not; shown: Thernumeral 42:.desig-nates pipes on the.

mounting framerean wall; 33-to. establish air. pressure? "and vacuum: lineconnections. withthe turn -unit box-when theelatter is inaposition the mounting frame. In Figures fi and" 71"the .turn unit-box 2 has-been. removed to expose certain features in themountingframe presently to. be described." r 1 V The air relay 40 carriesthe usual rudder air relay connection fittings- 4 3 and 44, shown in Figures 'Z and 1-1;. adaptedi toJ-make connection withima-ting fittings on -t-he rear of the. turn-unit box=f2;"and"fshort-s hose connections 45 and: 45-

leardingito anatmospheric pressure chamber inzaa manifold.48.-under' theiflOOI 49 f the mountings frame? Hi; According-toconventional con-- stru'otiomithe. connections 743 and 45 are. in communicatiorr with-a-chambe-r on: one side. of a flexiblefliaphraem 'irr-the -air relay valve 40, and the connections 44 and 46 are incommunication with; a chamber on. the opposite sideofthe diaphragm, the diaphragmebeing, directly connected with.v a piston-likefmovablezvalve "member in abalaneed I oilrvalva 4! extending rearwardly of. the rear wall "33.: 'llh'eair relay-40- is: disposed on: the. front side "of; the-rearwalL 33 and; has been omitted in Figures-6;; alongrwithaoneofl thepipes =42,- to: exposerutherpartspresentlyto be described. 7

In a manner well understood in the art, flexible hose connections constituting the elements 45 and 46 normally admit an air flow from the atmospheric pressure chamber 41'to the chambers on opposite sides of the flexible diaphragm in air relay 40 and to the turn unit air pick-01f system' in the box 2. Air flow to the pick-oil system is established through fittings 43 and M whereby the signal produced by this system effects a differential pressure responsive movement of the .air relay diaphragm acting through the balanced oilvalve and servo system to apply 'ruddencontrol.untilithe signal is removed. In

normahoperationathis signal is removed, or a1- tered,='by the pick-01f system from time to time in accordance with its response to the movements otthe aircraft.- 'Irrthe present invention, a combined metering and shutoif valve is interposed in the'hose connections 45 and 45 to regulate the strength of the air pick-off signal, or to remove it, at the-will of the operator;

c This composite=va1veassembly is'de'signated generally bythe numeral 50- and comprises a cap 5| receiving the flexible connections 45 and 46, a thin valv disc' 52, a'metering disc 53, a resilient disc' 54, andabottom plate 55-, as shown in Figures 9' and 10; The cap 5| is provided witha central hub 56 adapted-toreceive the discs 52 to 55, and a guide post 51 also receivable therein.

The hub 55 has incorporated therein a screw 58- for mounting the wholeassembly on the mounting frame floor 49 in the manner shown, the parts being secured by a nut 59. 'The post 51 enters an opening in the. floor 49'tc prevent ro-V tation of theelements 5| 54- and '55 and to limit the rotation of the discs 52 and 53. The flexible hose connections 45 andv 45 communicatewith orifices BDand-ii Lin the-cap- 5 l which are aligned with-slightly largeropening-s Hand 53 in the. discs 54, openings 64 and in the disc 55,\and

similar openings, in: thefloor 49, one of: which is shown at 65 in Figure 9.-Arcuate slots 61.

and BBindiscs- 52 and-53receive the post 5 which operates as a stop-todetermihe the limits. of-

angular movemen-tof these discs. The discs 54 and 55-have circular openingsGB' and 15in which. the post 51- is received to preventrctation of these elements. V

The disc 53is providedwitha pair ofopenings 'H- and. 12 whose outer edges are cut. on a spiral to meter the air flow through. the openings 60 andfil- The edges of the'metering openings are adapted to gradually vary the-crosssectional area of the air passages between vfull open andfully closed positionsas the disc is rotated by. theear 13 under the actuation of .a connecting link, 14 having manipulatable operating means at the front of the mounting frame just below the front panelofthe box 2. I

The disc 52 has. a pair of small openings i5 and 16 of approximately the same size. as. the

openings. 60 and SI andregistering therewith in one positionof'the. disc. An earl! on this disc .is arranged for movement byvan armature l8 whichds normally urgedby a spring 19 in adireotion tomaintain the disc 52 in open position, this position being. indexed by abutment of. the

end of slot .61 against the post 51. A solenoid is arranged for actuation of'the armatur 18 to rotate the. disc 52: inthe opposite direction to close-the air passages. The solenoid operating mechanism-is carried by a frame elemental pivoted thereto at 82; as.

having the-armature l8 shown in Eigures hand 8.

Figure-6 thevalve disc 52 is shown-in its normal open position permitting a normal signal to be transmitted to the air relay 40 of a strength as determined by the setting of the link 14 controlling the metering valve disc 53. In Figure 8, the metering valve disc 53 is assumed to remain in the same position as in Figure 6 to give the same strength of signal. but the shutofi valve disc 52 has been rotated by actuation of the solenoid 8!! to temporarily out off the signal to the rudder operating mechanism.

The solenoid circuit is energized from a battery source connected to conductors 34;. and 36 shown in Figures 2 and 5. The conductors 35 and 3'! proceed along the mounting frame it from the terminal 32 and binding post 36 to the solenoid 88, whereby the conducting ring 23 associatedwith the banking knob S is adapted to complete a. circuit thereto, through conductors 2i; and 2? and spring contacts 29 and 30, when the climb and bank unit is in its proper position in the mounting frame. The unit I may be removed and replaced in the usual manner without disconnecting any of the above mentioned conductors, the necessary circuit connections being automatically broken and ice-established b-ylthe spring contacts 29 and 30.

Operation Thus the present invention provides for removingthe rudder signal from the rudder oper ating mechanism while making a turn and for leaving the rudder under gyro control for normal flight. When it is desired to make a turn, the aileron knob i5 is rotated to properly bank the aircraft into the turn and at the same time it is pushed in to the in position. As long as the knob is left in its in position, the solenoid 8E3 remains energized to remove the rudder signal so that the gyro turn unit exerts no influence on the rudder control mechanism during this interval.

When it is desired to come out Of the turn, the aileron knob S is rotated to remove the bank and is at the same time withdrawn to its out position. This operates to break the circuit through the solenoid B8 to allow the spring lg to rotate the shutoff valve disc 52 to open position to re store the rudder signal. The gyro turn unit is then effective to control the rudder to maintain the aircraft on whatever new course is set into the turn unit through the rudder control knob 3. Also, if it is desired to temporarily remove the rudder signal for an other purpose whatever, this may be expediently accomplished by merely snapping the aileron knob 8 into its in position without the necessity of interfering with the metering valve or other manual valve controls in the air or hydraulic systems.

An advantage of the foregoing arrangement is that it may be used selectively and conveniently without reaching for and manipulating an additional knob or lever. A further advantage is that all parts of the novel mechanism may be applied to conventional automatic pilots without material alterations. When the device is installed on the automatic pilot it does not interfere in any way with the conventional operation of either the bank and climb or the turn units unless it is deto do so, and it does not interfere with the facility of removing or exchanging these units in the mounting frame.

Although a primary advantage of the present arrangement is its adaptability as an accessory device to a complete, serviceable gyro pilot, it is to be understood that the principles of the invention may be applied by way of modification and.

redesign so that certain of the external elements will be contained within the components of the gyro pilot as integral parts thereof.

Various changes, therefore, may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts, and all such modifications are included in the invention, the same being limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

I. In an automatic pilot for aircraft having rudder and aileron control units, a mounting frame removably receiving said units, an air relay on said mounting frame for applying said rudder control, an air supply in said, mounting frame for said relay, a valve on said mounting frame for shutting off said air supply, an aileron control knob, on said aileron control unit, and electromagnetic means on said mounting frame actuated by the aileron control knob for operating said valve to render said rudder control unit ineffective.

2. In an automatic pilot for aircraft, a mounting frame, having an air relay for applying rud der control and an air supply for said relay, air passages establishing communication between said air supply and said relay, a pair ofplates on said mounting frame having aligned openings communicating with said air passages, a valve disc having a pair of openings adapted to be rotated into and out of registry with said plate openings, an aileron control knob, and electromagnetic means on the mountin frame actuated by the aileron control knob to rotate said disc to cut off the air supply in both passages to eliminate said rudder control.

3. In an automatic pilot for aircraft, a mounting frame, an air relay on said mounting frame for applying rudder control, an air supply manifold on said mounting frame, a pair of openings out of said manifold for supplying air to said relay, a plate having a pair of openings positioned for registry with said first mentioned openings, an aileron control knob, and electromagnetic means actuated by the aileron control knob for moving said plate to cut off said air supply to said relay.

4. In an automatic pilot for aircraft, a mounting frame having an air relay for applying rudder control and an air supply manifold for supplying air to said relay, an air valve comprising a plate having openings communicating with said mani fold, a cap having openings aligned therewith and communicating with said air relay, a disc between said plate and said cap havin openings positioned for registry with said plate and cap openings, an armature for rotating said disc, an aileron control knob, and a solenoid actuated by the aileron control knob for actuating said armature to cut off said air supply to said relay.

5. In an automatic pilot for aircraft having an air relay for applying rudder control and an air supply manifold for supplying air to said relay;

a combined metering and shutoff valve comprising a bottom plate having a pair of openings communicating with said manifold, a cap having a pair of openings communicating with said relay and aligned with said first openings, a rotatable metering disc therebetween havin openings arranged to meter the flow through said aligned openings upon rotation of said disc, and a rotatable shutofi disc between said plate and said cap having a pair of openings positioned for registry with said aligned openings in said plate and cap and adapted upon rotatiton to shut off said air flow toremove said rudder ontrol without affectme: the setting oisa dm e disc- 6. In an automatic pilot for aircraft having an air relay to apply rudder control. and an air supply for said relay; a combined shutofi and metering, valve comprising a bot-tom plate and a top cap, aligned openings through said plate and cap communicating with said manifold and said relay, a central hub and a stop pin extending between .said capand said plate, a metering disc rotatably mounted onv said hub and provided with metering openin s, arranged to meter the flow to said relay upon rotation of said disc, said disc having an arcuateslot for receiving said stop pin, and a shutoff disc rotatably mounted on said hub and having an arcuate indexing slot for receiving said stop pin, said shutoff disc having a pair of openings positionedv for registrywith said aligned penin s and adapted upon rotation to shut off the air supply to said relay to eliminate said rudder control function without affecing the settingof said metering disc.

7. In an automatic pilot for aircraft havinga mounting frame removably carrying a turn unit box and a bank and climb unit box, an air relay on said mounitng frame for applying rudder control, an air supply manifold on said mounting frame for supplying air to said relay, an air valve on said mounting frame for shutting off said air supply for said relay, electromagnetic means on said mounting frame for'operating said valve, a pair of contacts on saidmounting frame adjacent said bank and climb unit, a pair of contacts on said bank and climbum't adapted to engage said mounting frame contacts when said unit is received in said: mounting frame, an aileron control knob on said bank and climb unit, and switch means associated with said aileronconill trol knob for actuating said electromagnetic means to remove the signal: to said air relay to interrupt the rudder controlling function of said automatic pilot.

8. In an automatic pilot for aircraft hayinga V mounting frame and removable tum and bank; and climb units for producing control signals, a?

signal responsive air relay on said mounting,

frame for applying rudder control, electromagnetic means on said mounting frame for removing said signal to interrupt said rudder control, contacts on said mounting frame and said bank and climb unit arranged for mutual engagement-when said bank and climb unit is received in said mounting frame, an aileron control knob onsaid bank and climb unit, and switch means associated with said aileron control knob for controlling,

said electromagnetic means through said contacts.

BERT G, CARLSON.

REFERENCES CI ED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:- 

